Hydroponic agriculture could help preserve scarce water in Jordan
Hydroponic agriculture, which does not require nearly as much water as traditionally grown crops, is being introduced to Jordan, a country with high water insecurity.
Jordan is the country with the third-highest water insecurity in the world, after Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. By 2030, 40% of all groundwater is expected to be depleted, as it is being used at a much greater rate than it can be recharged.
The answer to a fast approaching crisis might be in a greenhouse in Madaba province (a 40-minute drive from Amman) where hundreds of tomato plants are lifted half a meter from the ground in a 10 meter (32-foot) high, multi-span structure that takes up an area of 7,200 square meters (77,500 square feet).
